U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, said the committee will hold hearings in regard to Southwest Airlines’ failures over the holidays.
During the last week of December, Southwest canceled thousands of flights – 2,900 on Dec. 26 and approximately 5,000 for Dec. 27 and 28; more than 60 percent of its schedule – after the pre-Christmas winter storm caused cancellations and delays just days before. While the airline initially blamed the weather, officials later said that aging and inadequate software made it difficult for the airline to get crews to planes and put passengers on alternative flights. The cancellations stranded thousands of passengers at airports as they tried to get home after the holidays, leaving the airline’s customer service system overwhelmed.
On Dec. 27, Cantwell said the committee would be looking into the problems at Southwest.
“The problems at Southwest Airlines over the last several days go beyond weather. The Committee will be looking into the causes of these disruptions and its impact to consumers. Many airlines fail to adequately communicate with consumers during flight cancellations. Consumers deserve strong protections, including an updated consumer refund rule.”
On Wednesday, Southwest offered passengers 25,000 frequent flier bonus points as a “gesture of goodwill” in addition to reimbursements and refunds. Some passengers complained that they were not provided immediate refunds and reimbursements per federal law.
“For those who have requested refunds, reimbursements and/or are waiting to be reunited with lost bag(s), those processes are being handled with great urgency, and we appreciate your patience,” Jordan wrote in an email to Southwest passengers. The offer is good for travelers with flights canceled or delayed more than three hours between Christmas Eve and Jan. 2, the airline said.
Cantwell said the hearings would look at what the federal government can do to better protect customers in the future.
“Southwest’s customers are rightfully dissatisfied and deserve better,” Cantwell said. “These consumers need refunds and reimbursements for their expenses. I have spoken with CEO Bob Jordan and Secretary Buttigieg about these concerns. The Committee will be holding hearings for FAA reauthorization to examine how to strengthen consumer protections and airline operations.”
Cantwell joined U.S. Sens. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in November in commenting on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s proposed rule on airline ticket refunds. The Congress members urged the DOT to strengthen and expeditiously finalize the proposed rule to make sure that consumers are fairly compensated when airlines cancel or significantly delay flights and that those compensations include costs from hotels, meals, and transportation incurred by the passenger due to a problem within the airline’s control.